Generous donations poured in for Raise-a-Reader day in Downtown Vancouver.

VANCOUVER - Canucks coach Alain Vigneault posed for photos with fans and signed autographs early Thursday morning in the name of children’s literacy.

In just an hour, he and his fundraising group collected more than $400 by selling special editions of The Vancouver Sun at the corner of Granville and Georgia streets as part of the annual Raise-a-Reader fundraiser.

“People in Vancouver have always been generous to us,” he said.

Thursday’s on-the-street campaign raised more than $29,000 for literacy programs, while the province announced an investment of $500,000 in literacy. That money will be distributed through the Raise-a-Reader program to literacy organizations throughout B.C.

“Raise-a-Reader Day is such an important date on The Vancouver Sun calendar because of what it means to so many families with literacy needs.

“We owe a special thanks to the B.C. government for a $500,000 contribution to this year’s campaign, money that will be put to good use helping people all over the province.”

The Raise-a-Reader campaign was created 16 years ago by The Sun and expanded across the country in 2002. Combined with provincial funding, the B.C. campaign has raised $5.75 million for literacy and reading programs in local communities, schools and libraries since it started in 1997.

On Thursday, athletes from the B.C. Lions, the Vancouver Giants, Whitecaps and Canadians were on the streets, along with their mascots and management, starting at 7 a.m.

Thursday’s biggest individual donation, by far, was the $400 in cash handed to a Vancouver police officer.

“I don’t know what it is about the uniform, but it works every time,” said Jamie Pitblado, vice-president of promotions and community investment for Pacific News Group.

Along with a uniform, it helps to have a shiny red truck and a loudspeaker system to broadcast the pitch.

Vancouver fire crew members were riding up and down Granville Street, urging passersby to stop, drop and donate for children’s literacy.

At Dunsmuir and Hornby streets, firefighter Brian Bogdanovich and Nancy Wong of the Vancouver Public Library were taking a more casual approach, but still averaging about $5 a newspaper.

“We’re not the hard sell,” Bogdanovich said. They sold most of their 60 newspapers by 9 a.m.

Noticeably absent at Thursday’s campaign were Vancouver’s beloved Canucks, who are mostly out of town because of the NHL lockout. In past years, the players have stood alongside other volunteers, hawking papers for the charity.

This year’s total was about $6,000 short of last year’s, which could be explained in part by the Canucks’ absence.

“I would attribute the lower numbers to not having the Canucks players,” Pitblado said. “When we look at where we were down, it was at locations where we have always had players involved.”

Vancouver city councillor and acting deputy mayor Adriane Carr said she was proud to have raised a reader herself — her daughter Kallie George is a children’s author and editor in Vancouver. Carr had collected $110 in just the first hour.

Across Seymour Street, her friendly rival councillor Raymond Louie, who has participated in the campaign since he entered municipal politics a decade ago, was counting his money after receiving a $50 bill.

“It’s an easy sell, helping children and helping society, people getting a leg up,” he said.

“Some people already have a newspaper and still give us money,” Wong said.

Things were a little tougher on Georgia Street, where busy commuters were rushing into office towers. At least one volunteer — with a megaphone — was promising McDonald’s gift cards, free bus passes and “eternal happiness,” in exchange for donations. He was pretty successful.

“I’m making serious bank,” said Mike Cohen of radio station Classic Rock 101. His apron was full of cash.

All funds are managed through a provincial body and distributed to organizations like Canucks for Kids Fund and the Vancouver Public Library Foundation.

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